Someone who punishes or disciplines; also a Marvel Comics superhero character known for violent vigilante justice.
From 'punish' (Latin 'punire,' to cause pain/suffering) plus '-er' (one who does). The Punisher character, created in 1974, brought the word into pop culture consciousness.
The Punisher character became culturally complicated—originally a minor villain, he evolved into an anti-hero, then a symbol co-opted by groups he'd probably oppose, showing how symbols escape their creators.
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